If your browser doesn't support JavaScript you will not be able to see sub-menus please use the site map

DismissThis site uses cookies for adverts and to monitor site activity in order to help improve the site. See our Cookie Policy for more information. You can change cookie settings in your browser at any time. Otherwise, we'll assume you're OK to continue.

Health food of the month - Radishes

Most of us only add radishes to a salad because of their colour and nice crisp texture. Few of us would think, goodness we must have radish with our salad because of its nutritional value.

Most of us only add radishes to a salad because of their colour and nice crisp texture. Few of us would think, goodness we must have radish with our salad because of its nutritional value.

Yet in fact a simple red radish can add a great deal of useful benefits to a diet. Interestingly, the Chinese recognised its health properties centuries ago and had a saying: “Eat strong radish and drink hot tea, doctors will starve til they beg on their knees.”

Radishes (or Raphanus sativus) are thought to originally come from China but today they are grown right across the world. They do come in different shades, sizes and shapes, and you can get long thin radishes and even black Spanish radishes.

Radishes are a good source of anti-oxidants, including sulforaphane. This is believed to help fight prostate, breast, colon and ovarian cancers because of its cyto-toxic effect on cancer cells. Radishes also contain flavonoid antioxidants such as zea-xanthin, lutein and beta carotene.

These humble little red vegetables also contain useful levels of vitamin C plus folates, vitamin B-6, riboflavin, thiamine and a range of minerals such as iron, magnesium, copper and calcium.

And to add to all that, radishes are very low in calories and even provide good levels of dietary fibre.

One word of warning, radishes may contain goitrogents; compounds that can cause swelling of the thyroid gland so radishes should be avoided by anyone with thyroid problems.

When buying radishes, if not using immediately, always remove the top greens before storing as they can rob the nutrients from the crisp red bulb.

Tell us your health experiences

Want to comment on this article or ask other laterlife visitors a
question?

Then
visit the comment section of
the
Later Lifestyle Network, click on the 'Discussion Tab' (you
can't see this until you are logged in) and create a new topic
or add your views to an existing one.

Feeling Good

The above article is part of the features section of laterlife.com
called laterlife interest.laterlife interest
contains a variety of articles of interest for visitors to
laterlife.com written by a number of experienced and new
journalists.

It includes both one off articles and also associated
regular columns of a more specialist nature such as Healthwise,Gardener's
Diary,
our regular IT question and answer section called YoucandoIT
andthere's also 'It
could be you' by Maggi Stamp laterlife's counsellor on human
relationships.

Looking to the future

Tell us about what you would like to see here on laterlife.com in the future
or any changes you would like to see. Just email
views@laterlife.com

Latest articles

To view the latest articles click on
laterlife interest
index. To search for articles about a certain topic, use the site search
feature at the top right of the page.